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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28576887">Make it Click</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dish_Pan_Hands/pseuds/Dish_Pan_Hands'>Dish_Pan_Hands</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCIS</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Suspense</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:54:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,893</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28576887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dish_Pan_Hands/pseuds/Dish_Pan_Hands</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Was it a faulty seat belt and a door latch gone bad or was it sabotage?  Kasie, Stan and Joanna will have to find out!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Make it Click</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Driving to the scene, Vance was forced to relive the phone call that he had taken just fifteen minutes prior.  The sound of horror in the voice of Gibbs made his heart skip a beat.  In all the years of working with the man, he had never heard him sound so scared.</p><p>Easing his SUV onto the shoulder, Vance made his way out of the vehicle to stand behind the sedan that Gibbs was pacing around.  “Anything yet?”</p><p>“No,” Gibbs shook his head.</p><p>“Sir,” the rescue team leader made his way over to Gibbs.  “We have a climbing team on the way; they will be here any minute.  We searched that entire area that we found you looking in, he is not there.”</p><p>“What happened?” Vance growled as he looked down the steep hillside.</p><p>“We were going over the case as we left,” Gibbs bent at the waist trying to regain come composure.  “We stopped at that gas station about five miles back, filled up the sedan, got something to drink for the road.  He had situated everything in the front seat for us, as I got back on the interstate.  His seatbelt was twisted and driving him crazy, so he unfastened it to straighten it out.  As soon as he unfastened it, the door came open and he fell out.  I stopped the car and backed up to where I saw the point of impact on the ground.”</p><p>“They’ll find him,” Vance started to pace back and forth, this was not a typical incident that happened with agents.  Pulling out his phone, Vance dialed.  “Ms. Hines, I am having the sedan that Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo were traveling in towed to you.  I want you to go over every inch of it. I am going to call in Agents Burley to help.  Do not, under any circumstances, allow McGee, Bishop or Torres near this car. Pull the security footage from the bullpen for the last hour, I want to observe the teams since I left.”</p><p>Gibbs was in a fog, his heart was beating so hard that he could not hear anything happening in his surroundings.  Feeling his knees starting to become weak, the team leader reached his hand out and grabbed onto his boss. </p><p>“Whoa,” Vance steadied his agent.  “I need a paramedic over here.”</p><p>“He’s in shock,” the EMT stated as she guided her patient to a waiting gurney.  “Relax, Agent Gibbs.  Let’s get some oxygen on you and a blanket, I am going to turn the gurney so you can watch, I won’t make you move.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Vance nodded as he helped the paramedic turn the gurney.  </p><p>“I’m going to monitor him, Director.  Is there someone that can come to the scene and be with him?  I know you want to oversee the scene.” The paramedic was surprised that Gibbs allowed to her to place a blanket over him.</p><p>“Any news?” Secretary Porter walked up to the scene.  “The tow truck is behind us, I got in touch with Agent Burley and Agent Teague from the CIA is on her way along with Special Agent Page from the react team, I want them to both to work this investigation. Cars do not just fail like that, Leon.”</p><p>“I agree,” Vance nodded.  “I have untwisted my seatbelt countless times; it never opened my door.”</p><p>“He’s not doing well with this?” Secretary Porter questioned.</p><p>“Would you be?” Vance sighed as he made his way to greet Burley and the tow truck driver.  “This is all you work on, Stan.”</p><p>“Understood,” Burley gazed at Gibbs.  “Take care of him, Director. He and Tony are close.”  Walking away from Vance, Burley turned back to his boss.  “Tony is a good friend, Director.  We leave nobody behind, ever.”</p><p>“Agreed,” Vance nodded at the agent.  “You report to me and only me.  Anything that Porter asks you, you call me.  Trust nobody at this point.”</p><p>“Noted,” Burley climbed into the tow truck after taking pictures of the scene. “Let’s get this car back to NCIS; we need answers.”</p><p>“Director Vance,” Teague made her way up to where the car was just pulling away.  “I’m going to start with questioning Agent Gibbs; Page is going to work the scene.  She’s going to need some extra light soon.”  </p><p>“I have one in my trunk,” making his way to get the light, Vance made sure to keep his eyes on Secretary Porter, the woman’s presence was going to cause an issue at some point.  “Agent Page, you can set this up so you can see.  I am going to work the scene with you; I think with Secretary Porter present, it would be best.”</p><p>“Never seen Gibbs knocked off his feet like that,” Page sighed.  </p><p>“Only seen it once, but that was physical pain.  We have to understand, he was behind the wheel and he views his team as his family.” Vance paused. “It’s the only family that he has left.”</p><p>“Gibbs,” Teague stood aside the gurney.  “Can you tell me anything that you can think of that seems out of the ordinary about today?”</p><p>“I have been sitting here reviewing our day,” Gibbs shook his head.  “Nothing was different.”</p><p>“Did anyone come in late today?” Teague questioned getting a shake of the head from Gibbs.  “Vanish for a while?  Today or yesterday?”</p><p>“No,” Gibbs sighed.  “We had the sedan out yesterday; drove to a crime scene in Clarksburg, Maryland. McGee sat up front on the way to there; I sat on that side on the way back while Tony drove.”</p><p>“I want you to think about that ride back yesterday,” Joanna made eye contact with her witness. “Was there anything about the seatbelt that you remember?  Was it hard to engage?  Did it seem loose?”</p><p>“No,” Gibbs sighed.  “It clicked as it always did; the door didn’t give me any issues either.  When we got back, we parked in our spot, removed the evidence from the car and our gear. It was locked, doors double checked before we went into the building.  We do the same thing every time we get out; it’s habit.”</p><p>“In what direction was the car facing when you pulled into the parking lot?” Teague questioned as she fumbled with her phone to see if she could bring up what she needed from the security footage she was sent.</p><p>“We pulled in,” Gibbs paused.  “When we got in it today, it was backed into the space.  I didn’t even catch that until now.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” sighing as she dialed Stan’s number.  “Hey, I am sending you video from the camera.  Gibbs states that the car was moved when they went to leave this morning.”  Hanging up the phone, she turned back to her witness.  “Stan is going to pull other camera footage, see if he can see anything.  He’s tough, Gibbs.  They will find him, just be ready to sit on him when they do.”</p><p>“He hates hospitals,” Gibbs smiled slightly.  “I thought he would want the attention and the nurses; he always tries to sneak out. Could you ask Director Vance to come over here when you are ready to get rid of him.”</p><p>“Now would be perfect,” Teague laughed.</p><p>“You want up?” Vance noted the change in Jethro’s color and posture.  “What did you remember?”</p><p>“The car was moved,” Gibbs growled.  “We had pulled in last night, this morning it was backed in. Stan or Kasie are looking at video footage. Who would want to do this?”</p><p>“I think we need to figure out which one of you they wanted to hurt,” Vance held up an evidence bag. “Found pieces of the seat belt.  Ms. Hines can put that back together for me; see what she finds.”</p><p>“It’s getting dark,” Gibbs whispered.  “I won’t leave him out here alone, Leon.”</p><p>“You won’t have to,” Ducky walked up to his old friend.  “Mr. Palmer and I are here to keep you warm, fed and comfortable.  Anthony is our friend too, Jethro. Agent Burley has cleared both of us as suspect, he sent us to be with you.  Secretary Porter called in Dr. Hampton to cover autopsy until Anthony is safe.”</p><p>“How are you going to camp out, at the side of the road, safely?” Secretary Porter questioned the three men.  “It is not safe for you to even leave a vehicle here.”</p><p>“Excuse me,” a firefighter made his way up to the NCIS agents. “I heard what you said, there is a spot at that side where you can set up for the night; we are also going to show you where you can pull your car off so that it is out of danger. If it were my co-worker, I would spend the night out here too.”</p><p>“Jethro,” Ducky called out softly. “Anthony is strong; he’ll fight.”</p><p>“I’m going to go do a few things,” Palmer said softly as he walked away to speak with the EMTs.  “Hi, I am Dr. James Palmer and that is my mentor, Dr. Donald Mallard.  We are going to be staying with Agent Gibbs. Is there a way to get in touch with someone at the station direct, if we need you?  I can still call it into 911, but I would like to know you are on the way before they do their hundred questions prior to dispatch.”</p><p>“Here is the direct line in,” Chief Barnes handed over the business card.  “I am going to be sleeping at the station tonight, you can call or text me too. These are the other two that will be with me, group text us if you need to.”</p><p>“Listen,” Marty walked up to the conversation.  “You keep your ears open; it might be easier to hear him as the traffic calms down.  I am going to come back after I get something to eat and a quick nap.  You hear anything, you call any of us.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Palmer nodded.  “He’s one of the good guys; he needs to be found.  I’m worried about his lungs if not found soon; they are damaged from pneumonic plague, biochemical attack on the agency years ago.”</p><p>“We’ll be back,” the chief promised.  “We leave nobody behind; we’ll find him.  We’re going to catch a nap, get some food and load up the truck with lights and things.  Give us a few hours.”</p><p>“I’m staying,” Charlie called out. “Not the first time, I have been at a scene like this.  This is the first time that my rescue is missing, but it is not the first time that I have rescued someone from this area.  I am familiar with this wooded area and some of the nearby terrain.  We’ll find him, I will not rest until we do!”</p><p>Palmer set up camp off to the side; he knew that it was going to be a long night.  Setting off for food, Palmer prayed the entire drive to the store and back; Tony was one of his best friends.</p><p>“Mr. Palmer,” Ducky called out.  “Breena called, she’s coming down here for a while.  The lad from the fire department, he explained to her where to park.”</p><p>Breena brought hot coffee, food and blankets for everyone. Planting herself between her husband and Dr. Mallard, the young woman listened for the sounds of the night to reveal the location of their lost friend.</p>
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